Good Morning, News: Trump Caves on Gun Control (Probably), Another Campus Shooting, and Loretta Smith Fights Back

As predicted, that didn't last long. Days after Donald Trump signaled support for much stronger gun controls in a White House meeting, the NRA is suggesting it's gotten him to change his mind. As Steve noted yesterday, if it's true, it's precisely what happened with the immigration reforms Trump so thoroughly flip-flopped on earlier.

It's the final stretch in Salem. The Oregon Senate and House passed a total of around 50 bills yesterday, and this year's short legislative session appears primed to end on Saturday—a week earlier than it has to under the law.

And here's an interesting look about how one bill appears to target a single Oregonian: Portlander Kim Sordyl, a parent activist who's been a thorn in the side of Portland Public Schools and state education officials.

Up in Washington, legislators have been forced to walk back a bill that would have exempted them from public records law. They'd sped the legislation through last week, leading newspapers around the state to publish castigating op-eds. Eventually, dozens of lawmakers said they'd support a veto of the bill, and Gov. Jay Inslee last night complied.

Jo Ann Hardesty, president of a local NAACP chapter and candidate for city council, will set aside the former title because of the latter. NAACP rules apparently say an active officer in the organization can't run for public office (though I could find no such language in the organization's constitution or the rules it sends to chapters). Hardesty won't lead meetings while she runs.

Meanwhile, one of Hardesty's opponents in the May primary is battling a lawsuit that could get her kicked out of her present job. County Commissioner Loretta Smith filed a motion in court yesterday seeking to have that suit dismissed, and offering the clearest picture yet of why she thinks she hasn't run afoul of county rules.

LASTLY, Erik Henriksen wants you all to see this. I have not watched most of it. He tells me it is worth it, which also probably means he spent 25 minutes of his work day watching old public TV and is trying to justify it by strong-arming me into putting it into Good Morning, News. I'm nothing if not a mark.